


Banishing Bill

by ProdigyBlood



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Adult Dipper Pines, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, BillDip, M/M, One Shot, Poor Dipper, Possessive Bill Cipher, Unhealthy Relationships, humanoid bill cipher, mention of character murdered, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:48:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22883545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProdigyBlood/pseuds/ProdigyBlood
Summary: Dipper knew Bill was trying, but that didn’t change anything. A leopard can’t change its spots and a demon is still a demon even if he loves. Maybe Dipper had been a fool for forgetting that, even for a second. Forgetting that was what had led to now, and now was…Well, it was hell.
Relationships: Bill Cipher/Dipper Pines
Comments: 13
Kudos: 168





	Banishing Bill

**Author's Note:**

> _Welp_ , guess I was feeling angsty because this happened. Sorry in advance haha

Dipper knew Bill was trying, but that didn’t change anything. A leopard can’t change its spots and a demon is still a demon even if he loves. Maybe Dipper had been a fool for forgetting that, even for a second. Forgetting that was what had led to now, and now was…

Well, it was hell.

The room was growing steadily dark as Dipper sat at the kitchen table, drumming his fingers against the wood. The shadows stretched against the wall, consuming everything in their path, devouring the light in the room until it was as dull as Dipper’s mood. He was trying to mentally prepare what he was going to say. Bill would be home soon, back to the house they shared together. Dipper had been so excited when Bill had presented the house that he’d never even bothered to ask the means to how he’d acquired it. Now, after everything, he wished he had. Maybe he would have learned sooner what he now knew. Maybe he could have changed things.

_Maybe._

It was hard being in love with someone like Bill Cipher. He was charming, he was funny, smart and handsome. He kept Dipper on his toes, kept the young scientists' life exciting and unpredictable.

And yet…

Bill could close off at the drop of a hat. He could switch from hot to cold so suddenly it was jarring. Most of the time he was great. Most of the time he seemed happy and in love with Dipper and their life together. Other times it was like a storm was brewing in those yellow, cat-like eyes of his. They clouded over and he became someone Dipper didn’t recognise. Someone Dipper didn’t really like all that much. When that happened, he would become distant, barely acknowledging Dipper and disappearing for days at a time.

Those moments confused Dipper. They made him feel like he had done something wrong, like Bill was angry at him for some reason Dipper couldn’t fathom. Bill would never explain, sometimes he wouldn’t even apologise. Dipper loved Bill though, and he’d known he was a demon, known what he was getting himself into. So, he tolerated it. He took the bad so that he could have the good. Because the good was wonderful. It made Dipper feel lighter, _brighter_. It made him feel as if anything were possible. Bill made him feel so much, so much that Dipper wasn’t willing to sacrifice it all just because sometimes – rarely – it was like he was a piece of dirt on the demon’s shoe.

_Dipper. It’s important. It’s about Bill._

Dipper slammed his fist down on the table, shaking the wood. How could he be so stupid? He should have listened to his Grunkle’s. He should have listened to his sister.

He should have listened to Wendy.

_Dipper, you must leave him. I’m scared for you. I’m scared for all of us…_

A splash of water dropped on to the table. Dipper looked up, trying to locate the leak in the ceiling.

There wasn’t one.

The leak was him.

He was _crying._

Bill had promised never to make him cry. He’d _promised_. It was just another he’d broken.

When Mabel had phoned, she’d begged Dipper to pack a bag and leave. Asked him to drive to her without doing anything rash. Without confronting Bill.

_Just come, okay? Promise me, bro-bro._

Dipper guessed Bill wasn’t the only one who broke promises.

He couldn’t just _go_ though. Dipper couldn’t just leave Bill unattended in the world. With Dipper gone, the demon would be angry. Angry enough to attempt Weirdmageddon again maybe. Dipper couldn’t allow that. He couldn’t allow anyone else to be hurt.

 _Wouldn’t_ allow it.

His brown eyes sought out the tatty piece of paper folded in front of him on the table. A safety measure. One he’d hoped he’d never need. Dipper wondered whether he should hide it, try to catch Bill unawares. Despite everything though, Dipper wanted to be upfront.

Despite everything, a part of him was still in love with Bill. He hated that it was true, but feelings were feelings because they couldn’t be controlled. Not even the all-powerful Bill Cipher could control his own feelings; if he could, he never would have fallen in love with Dipper. They both knew it, even if it was something neither of them acknowledged.

Dipper let his eyes close. A stray tear tickled his cheek.

_‘Dipper. It’s important. It’s about Bill.’_

_‘Mabel? What is it? You’re worrying me.’_

_‘You should be worried, Dip. Have you checked the news?’_

_‘No, why?’_

_‘They found her, Dip. I’m sorry, but they found Wendy.’_

The door clicked open, bringing Dipper back to the present. His back tensed as he heard it click behind his demon fiancé. 

“Hey, Pine tree.” Bill’s voice was so light, so casual. He hadn’t sensed anything was amiss yet. “Man, I sure am glad to be home after a day of disassembling molecules. Sometimes you’ve just gotta show the staff whose boss though, am I right?”

In his human form, Bill looked Dipper’s age, but taller, slenderer, better looking than any human had a right to be. The only demon trait was his eyes, which widened as he walked around the table and spotted Dipper’s face.

“Pine tree? Are you… crying?” It sounded like he had to force the word ‘crying’ out, like it was a weakness even saying it. For his credit, though, he seemed genuinely worried.

The problem with Bill was his idea of genuine – his idea of _truth_ – was not the same as a humans.

“Yes,” Dipper said.

Bill walked over, crouching down next to him and taking Dipper’s hands. Dipper didn’t pull away. He wanted to but even now, he was weak. “Why?”

“They found Wendy.” There was no sugar-coating it. Dipper didn’t imagine the way Bill’s shoulders slightly tensed.

“Oh? Is she –”

“-Don’t you dare ask if she’s okay!” Dipper ripped his hands free and stood so abruptly the chair fell backwards, landing on the kitchen tiles with a loud _clunk._

“Pine tree –”

“I broke up with her! I chose you over her! Why wasn’t that enough?” Bill flinched at the accusation in Dipper’s tone. Then, after a moment, his eyes hardened, his expression smoothing over.

“You’d have gone back to her.”

“So you’re not going to deny it? When we found out she was missing you assured me she was just cooling off, that if I gave her some space she would eventually return and accept and respect my decision.”

Bill laughed humourlessly. “Oh, come on, Dipping Sauce, use that clever head of yours! She would have never accepted us. She _hated_ me.”

“Mabel hates you, too. Is she next?” Dipper didn’t blink as he stared at the demon, his eyes full of challenge.

“If Shooting Star gets in our way, I will do what I need to.”

Dipper’s eyes flickered to the piece of paper on the table. Bill followed his gaze, smiling coldly as he noticed it. “You gonna use that, Dipper? Gonna banish me? We both know you don’t have it in you.”

“When you gave it to me, you told me you wouldn’t blame me if I felt I needed to.”

“That’s because I didn’t think you would ever actually try it,” Bill said.

“And I didn’t think you would ever kill my ex and threaten my twin,” Dipper said, his voice wobbling slightly. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Why was this so hard? After everything, this should be easy. All he had to do was press a drop of blood into the centre of the zodiac. His blood was the key. His blood would send Bill back to where he belonged. Back to where he would _rot_.

Dipper’s eyes flickered between Bill and the paper again.

Bill had killed Wendy out of jealousy. He would kill Mabel too if she interfered. Now that Mabel knew for certain what she had suspected all along, she definitely _would_ interfere.

Binding Bill was the only way to keep her safe.

The only way to keep the _world_ safe.

“Go on then,” Bill said. Out of thin air, he procured a needle. “I’ll even prick your finger for you. Do it, I dare you.” He was calling Dipper’s bluff. He didn’t think Dipper had it in him. A little part of Dipper wondered that too.

“I’ll do it,” Dipper said, as much to convince himself as Bill. He reached out and took the tattered paper, faded by time. It had been years since Bill had given it to him. That Bill had been different. That Bill had worried about going too far, had wanted Dipper to stop him if he ever did. Or, so Dipper had thought. Now he was less sure. Unfolding the paper, he saw the zodiac and the familiar symbols that circled it. His eyes lingered on the ice symbol, the one that had once represented Wendy. Dipper couldn’t believe he’d failed her.

He wouldn’t fail her again.

Putting the paper down at the edge of the table, face-up, Dipper held out his right hand to Bill. “Go on,” he said. “Prick my finger.”

Bill hesitated, glancing at the needle glinting in his gloved hands. His gaze flickered back to Dipper, trying to gauge how serious he was. His expression faltered at what he saw.

“Come on, Pine tree. We can work through this. I can be better.”

“I’ve heard it before,” Dipper said.

“This time I mean it. Don’t send me back. Do you know how boring it is being trapped there for eternity? I like it here. I like our life. I love you.”

Dipper couldn’t help how his face softened. “I know you do,” he said quietly. “And I love you.”

“Then let’s burn the zodiac and go away together. Let’s go somewhere nobody knows us. Somewhere nobody knows where we are. Let’s start afresh.”

“You think we really could?”

“Of course! Come on, let’s do it. I’ll pack your bags. Here,” he clicked his fingers, “done!” Bill took a step closer. He was a head taller than Dipper, but he leaned down, pressing their foreheads together. “I can change,” he promised softly, before pressing his lips to Dipper’s in a chaste kiss.

“I wish I believed that,” Dipper said, and he stepped backwards. Bill’s eyes widened as an unnatural pull tugged at his body.

“What have you done? Pine tree, what have you done?!” His voice became demonic, anger clouding it. His gaze dropped to see Dipper’s left hand and the bead of blood that was welling on his index finger. As his body started to distort, flickering in and out of existence, he glanced towards the zodiac and the smear of blood that now stained its centre. “You’ll regret that,” he shouted, his angry words tinged by something else: hurt, betrayal. “I’ll find a way back, Dipper.”

Dipper felt fresh tears fall down his face as he watched the demon he loved – despite everything – flicker in and out of reality, pixellating and blurring, until finally, reality kicked him out, leaving just the echo of his threat to return lingering in the air.

“I’ll be back, Pine tree… We’ll meet again…”

Dipper felt his legs give way and he dropped to his knees. He stayed that way until Mabel – worried that her brother wouldn’t keep his promise – burst into the house and found him, several hours later.


End file.
